Panty with openable crotch



Aug. 27, 1968 N. A. MARINO PANTY WITH OPENABLE CROTCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 10, 1966 I N VE N TOR 7Zz'c'kolcw a. 77hr1'n0 Aug. 27, 1968 N.A. MARINO PANTY WITH OPENABLE CROTCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10, 1966IN VEN T02 Nicholas 0. 7720mm United States Patent 6 "ice 3,398,739PANTY WITH OPENABLE CROTCH Nicholas A. Marino, Chicago, Ill., assignorto Sears, Rocbuck and C0,, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New YorkFiled May 10, 1966, Ser. No. 548,924 4 Claims. (Cl. 128-529) Myinvention relates to undergarments for females of the type usuallyreferred to as panties, and has to do more particularly with a new andimproved garment of this character having a specially constructed crotchso designed as to facilitate digital opening thereof for toiletpurposes.

I am well aware that, broadly speaking, garments of this type haveheretofore been available with an openable crotch. However, suchconstructions which have come to my attention have been objectionablefrom a sanitary standpoint in that it would be practically impossiblefor the wearer to avail herself of this feature without unavoidablysoiling the adjacent fabric, with consequent discomfort.

Accordingly, an object of my invention is to provide a new and improvedconstruction permitting simple and convenient opening of the crotch bythe use of two fingers of each hand, permitting sufficiently completeopening whereby the necessary function may be performed withsubstantially no risk of wetting any adjacent material.

A further object to provide such a construction which is simple,inexpensive and easily fabricated on a standard industrial sewingmachine by a seamstress of average ability.

Further objects and advantages will do doubt suggest themselves to thoseskilled in the art as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of this specification andillustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, seen as worn on the human figure ina sitting position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the crotchportion of said garment, as viewed from the outside;

FIG. 3 is a similar view of the same as partially drawn open by thefingers of the wearer, the latter shown dotted;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the crotch portion of the garmentas seen from inside the garment, i.e., the opposite side to that seen inFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the garment as worn on the humanfigure, with the crotch portion closed, as normally Worn;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the crotch portion drawnopen, as seen in FIG. 3, and

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the fabric elements constituting thecrotch portion as seen from the inside of the garment.

The numeral 10 represents a panty type of garment which, except for thecrotch portion to be described, may be essentially of standard or othersuitable construction, having a torso portion 12 and leg portions 15,15. The garment, so far as the major portions just referred to areconcerned, is preferably fabricated of a two-way stretch material suchas that popularly known as Spandex and may, if desired, have a lining ofcotton or other suitable fabric, such as one having a more open-meshweave and softer to the skin than the Spandex fabric used on theoutside.

Aside from other details of construction of the panty proper, which arenot considered critical so far as my 3,398,739 Patented Aug. 27, 1968which extend along the inside of the thighs toward but not completely tothe crotch of the wearer, terminating in free edges 20, 20, as seen mostclearly in FIGS. 1 and 2. Said inside panels 18, 18, are stitched, asalong seams S to adjacent portions 22, 22 of leg portions 15, althoughthey need not necessarily be separate panels. While free edges 20, 20are shown as spaced apart (FIG. 2) such spacing or the amount thereof isnot critical, it being understood that panels 18, 18 are highly flexibleand stretchable.

Referring to FIG. 4, I provide on the inside of the garment a crotchportion adjacent the body and behind panels 18, 18, comprising a pair ofpartly overlapping, generally triangular fabric pieces 25a and 25b.These pieces of fabric are formed preferably of a relatively softmaterial which is somewnat stretchable, at least transversely of thetorso, as indicated by the arrows X-X in FIG. 7, although this lattercharacteristic is not indispensable. One type of material suitable forsaid triangular elements is that known in the trade as a tricot orknitted fabric.

Still referring to FIG. 4, it will be noted that triangular strip 25a isattached at one vertex along a seam 28 to the back portion of thegarment and also adjacent the other vertices along seams 29, 29, andalso along the same vertices opposite the above mentioned seams, as atseams 30, 30 where the panels 18 are joined to the adjacent legportions. Thus, strip 25a has one substantially free edge 45 extendingcrosswise of the torso.

The other triangular element 25b has a substantially free edge 33, alsoextending crosswise of the body spaced from and generally parallel toedge 45 of element 25a. The vertex opposite said side is secured bystitching, as indicated at 35, to the front portion of the garment whilethe other side edges are stitched as indicated at 37, 37, to side panels18, 18, such stitching being extended around the vertex as indicated at40, 40.

Thus, it will be seen that both of said triangular fabric elements arethoroughly secured at their vertices, one of them, i.e., the outermosttriangular piece 25b, being substantially secured at all three verticesand having only its transverse edge 33 substantially free. The innermosttriangular element 25a also has its transverse edge 45 substantiallyfree and also has substantial free portions along the other two sides,said free portions being somewhat more than one-half the length of saidsides. The substantially free edges 33 and 45 of the triangular piecesextend crosswise of the body and are preferably reinforced :as by tape,piping or the like. Said triangular pieces are substantially free ofeach other, permitting free relative movement thereof.

The digital opening of the crotch portion of the garment by the weareris illustrated in FIG. 3. It Will be apparent that, by the use of twofingers of each hand, the wearer may draw apart the free edges 20, 20,in a side-to-side movement and then, in a front-to-rear movement,digitally draw edges 45 and 33 of triangular flaps 25a and 25b apart soas to provide a clear opening 50, as seen in FIG. 3. This opening is ofsufiicient size and appropriately shaped so that the Wearers needs maybe attended to with substantially no risk of soiling the garment.

While the crotch pieces 25a and 25b are shown as generally triangular,they are not necessarily restricted to such shape.

Various other changes coming within the spirit of my invention maysuggest themselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not wish tobe limited to the specific embodiments shown and described or usesmentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of myinvention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A panty type undergarment for females, having a torso portion, legportions and a crotch portion,

(a) said leg portions each including a section adapted to be disposedadjacent the inner thigh of the wearer 'and terminating in asubstantially free edge adjacent the crotch portion and extendinggenerally in a frontto-rear direction,

(b) said crotch portion comprising a pair of at least partiallyoverlapping pieces of textile fabric normally covering adjacent portionsof the wearers body and partially underlying s'aid free edges of thethigh sections and extending substantially across the crotch of thewearer,

(c) said pieces being substantially free from each other and partiallysecured marginally by stitching to adjacent portions of the garment andeach having a substantially free edge extending crosswise of the wearerstorso, said last-mentioned free edges being spaced apart and generallyparallel, whereby by digital engagement thereof, said pieces may bedrawn apart in a front-to-rear movement to expose adjacent portions ofthe wearers anatomy.

2. An article as in claim I, wherein said pieces are generally in theform of equilateral triangles of substantially equal size.

3. An article as in claim 2, wherein said pieces are formed of arelatively soft and stretchable textile fabric.

4. An article as in claim 3, wherein the free edges of said leg sectionsare spaced apart across a substantial portion of the we'arers crotch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,476,585 7/1949 Cohen 1285292,522,009 9/ 1950 Wohlman 128529 3,208,455 9/ 1965 F ridolph 128-5293,224,448 12/1965 Diebold 128529 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

1. A PANTY TYPE UNDERGARMENT FOR FEMALES, HAVING A TORSO PORTION, LEGPORTIONS AND A CROTCH PORTION, (A) SAID LEG PORTION EACH INCLUDING ASECTION ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ADJACENT THE INNER THIGH OF THE WEARERAND TERMINATING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY FREE EDGE ADJACENT THE CROTCH PORTIONAND EXTENDING GENERALLY IN A FRONTTO-REAR DIRECTION, (B) SAID CROTCHPORTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF AT LEAST PARTIALLY OVERLAPPING PIECES OFTEXTILE FABRIC NORMALLY COVERING ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE WEARER''S BODYAND PARTIALLY UNDERLYING SAID FREE EDGES OF THE THIGH SECTIONS ANDEXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ACROSS THE CROTCH OF THE WEARER,